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Sikkim Gurudwara Nanaklama ~ Earthquake Relief Measures

As earthquake also hit the area this September , the efforts are also to restore the surroundings and lives....

Highest Gurdwara Sahib at 18000 ft. and Earthquake relief measures.

New Foundation Stone is to be laid at Gurdwara Sahib Nanaklama, Chung Thang, Sikkim, India by Head Sewa Unit of Baba Harbans Singh Ji, Kar Sewa Wale New Delhi on 8th January 2012. As earthquake also hit the area this September , the efforts are also to restore the surroundings and lives. Earlier local Govt. objected the construction of the Gurdwara , now seeing the help offered by Gurdwara Sahib during earthquake, the Govt has asked to resume the construction.

Historical Importance of the Gurdwara Sahib.

Gurdwara Nanaklama, Chung Thang, Sikkim, India

It is believed, Guru Nanak Dev ji visited and blessed the area with many great things during his last trip to China and Tibet.
Guru Nanak Dev ji dug his walking stick at a place where eventually the stick has grown into a tree which has trunk in stick shape and leaves are below the rounded trunk which looks like handle of stick. An amrit kund was also made to appear there by Guruji. The present Gurdwara structure was built by officers of the Assam Rifles and Army personnel with the help of the local lepcha tribe in the early eighties. The area was restricted to service personnel and local people due to its strategic location near the border with China from the early eighties to 2005.

Guru Dongmar is a lake at a height of 18,000 feet alongside a glacial peak known by the same name. The lake remains frozen most of the year due to heavy snowfall for almost six months each year.

In this plateau the yak grazers approached Guru Nanak with a request, that: "they do not find water in winter as it gets frozen all over, temperature falling down to minus 35 degrees." The Guru (Guru Nanak) hit the perpetually snow-covered Guru Dongmar Lake with his stick to provide water to the grazers. The ice melted giving way to crystal clear water. Since then the water of the lake is stated to never freeze. The lake and the hill feature atop came to be known as Gurudongmar Lake and hill respectively.

Due to the effect of altitude, their virility was affected. They requested the Guru to do something about it. Guru Nanak blessed the lake, saying, "Whosoever takes the water of this lake will gain virility and strength and will be blessed with children." The people of the area have firm faith in Guru's words and consider the water of the lake as nectar. A Gurdwara was constructed in eighties to commemorate Guru Nanak's visit to the place. We used to trek to Gurudongmar then, after traveling from Chungthang on foot, covering the distance in six days.

Lake Guru Dongmar in November and in March (right)

Guru Nanak visited the place during his 3rd UDASI in order to solace the Karma-pa Nying-ma-pa sects then being hounded out from Tibet by the Ge-lug-pa sect. Many from the Karma-pa Nying-ma-pa sect were the followers of Guru Nanak, as their Head Lamas became Guru Nanak's followers in Kailash Mansarovar area after being impressed by Guru Nanak's discussions with the famous Sidhas of the age. These sects had fled from Tibet to the Himalayan belt of Northern India, which included Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttra-Khand, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Records show that during his journeys to the Himalayas and the Far East, including China, Guru Nanak visited all these states around 1516 AD.

Earthquake relief measures :

Sikkim has suffered a loss of about Rs 1 lakh crore due to the 6.8 magnitude earthquake. At Chung Thang in North Sikkim, one of the worst affected sites, a school building one of the worst affected structures. Fortunately, it was a Sunday, so there were no students."I had constructed the school by collecting every single penny. Quake has damaged property of around Rs 5 lakh," said the Principal of the school. Around 80 per cent of the houses at Chung Thang have suffered damages with major and minor cracks. Several people have lost their lives and many families have been displaced. National Highway 55, which connects Bagdogra to Darjeeling and National Highway 31, that links Gangtok to Bagdogra, have been restored.
The relief and rescue workers have raced against time to open the arterial National Highway 31 that cut off the state since Sunday evening. Nine helicopters were mobilised and 10 doctors airlifted to Chungthang in North Sikkim. The Army has also deployed 10 medical units. The Army says restoring communication lines beyond Mangan will be the next big challenge.

"The biggest challenge right now is to get the lines of communication through, to supply food to needy people. Road beyond Mangan is very bad and it will take more than 20 days," said Lt Gen Bikram Singh. The enormity of the damage is finally emerging, besides the loss to human lives. Over 15,000 houses were razed to the ground and more than 1 lakh were partially damaged.

For Donation to the Gurdwara Sahib along with any relief material (Clothes, Food, Medicines, etc) can be sent directly to Baba Harbans Singh Ji Kar Sewa Wale or at Vismaad Sewa Foundation

For Journey to Gurudwara Sahib Guru Nanak Lama, Chungthang on 6th January 2012 can contact Vismaad Sewa Foundation at +919716161623